France Telecom Joins General Magic Alliance
PARIS — April 12, 1994 — France Telecom announced today that is has joined the international alliance created around General Magic and will take an equity stake in the company. The technical cooperation currently being defined will be combined with the acquisition of General Magic licenses to enrich existing videotex-based information and messaging services as well as to provide a platform for future developments.
France Telecom operates the world's largest videotex market for real-time public information services. In 1993, France Telecom's Teletel videotex network recorded impressive figures: 23,200 services and 113 million hours of connection by 6.5 million Minitel terminals and 500,000 PCs with videotex emulation. With the imminent opening of the new high-speed Teletel system and bank card telepayment services, France Telecom is seeking to develop new videotex markets.
As the development of multimedia products and services looms on the horizon, there is an emerging demand at the international level for public information networks and global standards. To drive new growth in videotex and messaging products and services, France Telecom is forging partnerships for the development of future technologies that will enrich its client service offering.
The alliance between France Telecom and General Magic offers the leading French network operator an opportunity to accelerate the development of its services by establishing a global standard using the "intelligent agent" concept implemented in Telescript technology.
Alliance Advantages
General Magic develops software technologies used for messaging, information, and transactional services which integrate all the communications functions available on user terminals and hand-held personal intelligent communicators. The fast-paced development of wireless telephone and the advent of intelligent, easy-to-use terminals should increase demand for messaging and personal communication.
General Magic has developed Telescript(TM) technology, an object-oriented communications language which guarantees maximum security for users and employs the concept of intelligent agents. Agents are pieces of software capable of moving through the network to perform work on behalf of people. They can find resources, retrieve information, carry out transactions, and even interact with other agents in order to "outsource" certain information searches.
Agents will allow a new type of intelligent access adapted to information and messaging services such as those designed for people who are traveling. It will also lead to the development of new types of transactions that will make existing services easier to use.
General Magic also offers Magic Cap(TM), a feature-rich, intuitive platform for communications. Magic Cap software is the basis of a new generation of intelligent devices, such as "personal digital assistants" that can be wireline and wireless screen phones. It can also operate on existing personal computers. Magic Cap software contains Telescript and provides users with the benefits of intelligent agents.
France Telecom has carried out initial evaluations of the Telescript and Magic Cap technologies in conjunction with Philips, the first company to license General Magic technologies in Europe. Technologies developed by General Magic am extremely promising for the harmonious integration and personalization of these services.
Created in 1990 in California, General Magic's partners include Apple, AT&T, Matsushita, Motorola, Philips, and Sony, all of which were recently joined by NTT, Fujitsu, and Toshiba.
With annual revenues exceeding $24 billion, France Telecom provides advanced telecommunications services within France and from France to the rest of the world. The organization has over 168,000 employees worldwide, with overseas offices in London, Frankfurt, Bonn, Brussels, Madrid, Moscow, Warsaw, Prague, Budapest, New York, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Beijing, Djakarta, and Singapore.
Telescript(TM) and Magic Cap(TM) are trademarks of General Magic.
CONTACT:
Bruno Janet, 331-44-44-93-93, (worldwide), or Kimberly Steiner, 212-332-2114, (United States),
or
Jane Anderson, 415-966-6271, (general) all for France Telecom